94 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 



the accounts of previous naturalists, he appears to have confounded its history with the fol- 

 lowing species : Cheeks full of thick hair. Ears thin externally, with few hairs, naked within, 

 and when bent forward, do not reach the nose ; when bent backwards, they reach the shoulder 

 blades. Eyes large and black, with 4-5 bristles above them. Whiskers mostly black ; 

 some are white ; the longest appears to reach beyond the head. Color in summer : Ears 

 brownish, with a very narrow black border on the outer margin, of the same breadth to the 

 tips, or becomes effaced ; brown cheeks, back and sides ; fore and hind legs light brown 

 externally, mixed with black ; all round the breech, white. Feet full of short hair of a light 

 brown, unmixed with black, changing towards the inside to a grey white. Upper part of the 

 tail like that of the back, (perhaps mixed with black, as Pennant describes it black ;) beneath 

 white. Throat white ; lower part of the neck bright brown, mixed with white ; chest and 

 belly, inside of fore and hind legs, white. Color in winter, when it does change, white. 



According to Foster, Pennant and Schoepff, the most remarkable distinctions of this species 

 are, 1, his size : It is not by any means as large as the common and changeable hare, and 

 scarcely larger than a rabbit ; hence he is frequently called rabbit in America. 2, the pro- 

 portion of his legs ; the hind feet being longer, and the fore feet shorter than in the others. 

 3, the color and length of ears : it has a black margin outside, but no black mark at the tip, 

 and the length is less than that of the common hare. 4, the upper side of the tail is not so 

 black as in that species. 5, the color of its body. 6, its mode of living and habits : It can 

 therefore only be a distinct species. Length 18 inches ; tail scarcely more than two. Found 

 from Hudson's Bay to Florida. In winter, his short hair changes into a long silky fur, white 

 from the roots. The border of the ear, and upper part of the tail, unchanging. In the southern 

 part of the State of New- York, and the Southern States, he does not change his color, and 

 might therefore be called the half-changing hare. 



The whole history of the habits of this species, and its abundance, sufficiently confirms the 

 fact that Schreber had our Rabbit in view, although he was misled by Schoepff and Pennant, 

 and confounded two species. We think that in this latter particular, Erxleben has also been 

 in error. 



The American Grey Rabbit changes but little with the season, except that the fur is longer 

 and finer, and exhibits a slight tendency to white. Prof. Emmons speaks of having seen them 

 distinctly grey in Massachusetts, and Dr. Bachman has seen them in Carolina of a light iron 

 grey. It is a timid, inoffensive creature ; and were it not for its excessive vigilance, and its 

 astonishing powers of reproduction, would soon be extirpated. Indeed we have reason to 

 believe that this actually does happen in certain districts ; when their enemies, having nothing 

 to feed upon, also disappear ; and after a certain period, the rabbit again resorts to its former 

 haunts, and, undisturbed for some time, increases again in numbers. Beside man, it has 

 many other enemies. In the northern and western part of the State, it is the favorite food of 

 the two lynxes. It is also destroyed by the New-York weasel, the skunk, and by hawks, 

 owls and serpents. 



Its food consists of bark, buds, grass, wild berries, etc. ; and in cultivated districts, it is 

 said to enter gardens and destroy vegetables. Unlike its congeners, it does not confine itself 



